2 March 2012 Edition

Neck-and-neck between Johnson and Livingstone

LONDON MAYORAL ELECTION – 3 MAY

Ken has traditionally done well among London’s Irish voters due to his strong support for the community, establishing the huge St Patrick’s festival, plus his longstanding role in advancing dialogue and the Irish Peace Process.

THE
London Mayoral election on 3 May looks set to be a neck-and-neck
contest between Tory incumbent Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone.
Polls in January put Livingstone two points ahead following a boost
in his support, largely as a result of his focus on the need to cut
public transport fares; a February poll put Johnson two points ahead,
showing just how tight this fight will be.

Ken
has traditionally done well among London’s Irish voters due to his
strong support for the community, establishing the huge St Patrick’s
festival, plus his longstanding role in advancing dialogue and the
Irish Peace Process. In contrast, Boris Johnson created a huge
furore among Irish groups after remarks he made in a recent New
Statesman interview prompted headlines such as the Irish
Post’s front page: “Boris, your attitude stinks”.

In
the interview, Johnson claimed: “I’ll tell you what makes me
angry . . . spending £20,000 on a dinner at the Dorchester for Sinn
Féin.” He was referring to the annual St Patrick’s Day Gala
Dinner, initiated by Ken as Mayor and subsequently pulled by Johnson.
Contrary to what Johnson claimed, the event was representative of a
wide cross-section of Irish society in London, was self-financing and
gave any profits to charities. All the Irish political parties, not
just Sinn Féin, were invited.

A
letter to the Guardian
newspaper,
condemning the comments, was signed by prominent Irish individuals,
including restaurateur Richard Corrigan, actor Adrian Dunbar, MPs and
community activists. Many demanded an apology and Communications
Workers’ Union General Secretary Billy Hayes commented that his
union “has been very supportive of the
Irish Peace Process, which recognises the legitimacy of all the
communities and traditions of Ireland”. He condemned the remarks as
“a poor effort at reviving yesterday’s troubles”. The Irish
Post argued in its editorial: “Time is right to reinstate
Ken as Mayor”.

As
3 May approaches, many believe this election will be crucial, not
only for London but also for Britain’s national political scene. As
Cameron’s first big electoral test, a defeat for his party would
impact very badly. Equally, a victory for Boris Johnson would do the
opposite. Every vote will clearly count and those of London’s Irish
— one of the largest ethnic minorities in the city — could prove
decisive. Campaigners on both sides point out that nothing can be
taken for granted. A support group, Irish4Ken, has been established,
attracting a wide range of groups and individuals to mobilise that
vote. The deadline to register to vote is 18 April.